Chris Hemsworth's Wife Dressed “Elderly” To Confront His Fear Of Aging & Forgetting

Chris Hemsworth shocked the world in November 2022 when he announced he’d be stepping back from acting after learning that he is predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease, which affects the brain and memory. In the fifth episode of his National Geographic series Limitless, which seeks to “understand the limits of the human body,” fans saw the results of the genetic test and Hemsworth’s reactions in real-time. “The idea that I won’t be able to remember the life that I’ve experienced or my wife, my kids...this is probably my biggest fear,” the Thor actor said after learning that he’s 8-10 times more likely than the average person to be diagnosed.

But it was his wife’s reaction that captured everyone’s hearts. Elsa Pataky enlisted the help of professional make-up artists to dress up as an “elderly” version of herself, responding to her husband’s fears about potential future memory loss. In the sixth episode, she surprises the Marvel star who initially thinks he is meeting a fan. When he arrives, he discovers his wife in full special effects makeup and the two share a tearful moment. “I think this moment, we will remember forever,” Pataky said. “It was so deep, so unexpected, I felt safe, it was so beautiful.”

The couple dances together and Hemsworth admits to feeling “a little teary-eyed” by his wife’s display of affection, saying that the experience is less scary with someone he loves by his side. “I think what is quite confronting is approaching that age on my own. What makes it less scary is having someone to experience it with, having people around you that you love — it makes me feel a lot more accepting,” he said. “I want to live those years with you, we need those memories,” Pataky replies. Cue the tears.

Fans cut the emotional scenes together in a viral clip on TikTok and Twitter. The outward display of love has left fans feeling “shattered” but moved by the romantic gesture.

While this discovery led Hemsworth to take some time off from acting, it doesn’t mean he’ll never act again. “It’s not like I’ve been handed my resignation,” he told Vanity Fair last November. “I’ve been completing the things I was already contracted to do. Now when I finish this [press] tour this week, I’m going home and I’m going to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify. Be with the kids, be with my wife.”